While Qiu Yunru couldn't stop spending his days wondering what condition Li Chenyuan was in, the situation had become a strange one in the Mortal Realm.
No one had heard from Li Chenyuan for two weeks.
As the judicial systems within Baohu Mountain Range were tedious and lengthy, it had taken a week for the urgent trial to be held, and yet another week for the initial sentencing. All this time, both Li Chenyuan and Lei Ruolan had been moved to temporary cells on Li Hua mountain. Of course, they were comfortable and more like bedrooms than jail cells; even towards those suspected of crimes, the Jade Clouds Sect extended the most luxurious of treatment.
In this time, there was also an investigation launched. Li Chenyuan had claimed furiously that there were masked people within Heixi Gorge during the tournament. No one had paid him any mind at first, but soon enough, competition officials reported that there had indeed been breaches in security that corroborated such a claim. Thus, Heixi Gorge was being thoroughly investigated for any sign of these people.
The trial, however, was what everyone was interested in. Not wanting to waste resources, and also finding that this case was an exceedingly strange one, the judicial official in charge, Zhen Wei, had decided to combine the trials of Lei Ruolan and Li Chenyuan.
He was endlessly criticized for this decision behind his back by sect leaders and disciples alike.
"What a lazy judge!" Wei Shan, master of the Twelve Inks Sect, hissed to his fellow sect leaders during a meeting. They had all convened on Fan Yao Peak just a few days before the trial to discuss the incident. "An artist can sit for twelve hours, but a judge can't sit for two trials?"
"Wei-shidi..." He Yongliang sighed. He looked incredibly tired. In fact, he had begun to look downright ill shortly after hearing the news of what his disciple had done. He shook his head with a gentle smile. "This case indeed requires a combined trial. Li Chenyuan claims that he was given a Demon Soul Idol by Lei Ruolan, and Lei Ruolan has acknowledged this. Thus, the murders he committed were directly connected to her. What's more, they may have been utterly out of his control."
Wei Shan waved his fan aggressively, giving He Yongliang a sour look. "You just favor that kid of yours! Li Chenyuan is a murderer. There are no two ways about it! Besides, how could it be true that he received a Demon Soul Idol? Most cultivators would die on the spot! Don't tell me..." Wei Shan leaned across the table, a devious sneer on his lips. "...that this kid has a similar ability to his father?" He slammed his fan down on the table furiously. "If that's the case, then we had better lock him up and dispose of him, whether it's his fault or not! I won't have another Li Guiren on our hands!"
The sound of his shouting echoed through the tall stone hall. Everyone was silent.
He Yongliang said nothing, pursing his lips. The other masters seated up and down the table looked at him sideways.
The truth was, they all thought similarly: it was known among their generation that Li Chenyuan was the son of that horrible man who had massacred a generation of cultivators, Li Guiren. It was also known that He Yongliang and Li Guiren had sustained an...ahem, passionate brotherhood. Thus, everyone suspected that He Yongliang was only defending Li Chenyuan because of favoritism.
Another master spoke up then.
This was Du Wanlin, long-time master of None Left Mountain. Sitting at the middle of the table, her posture was rather disrespectful, with her arm thrown lazily over one of her knees. But who would dare scold her? After all, as the master of None Left Mountain, her muscles and strength had no comparison! Anyone who spoke back to her would probably get their face bashed in like a bun being squashed underfoot. Her voice was as intimidating as her appearance, echoing deeply down the hall and causing everyone to flinch:
"I hate to say it, but Wei-shidi is right." Wei Shan gaped at her in offense. Ignoring him, she went on: "You must be objective, He-shixiong. On top of that, Wei-shidi brings up another good point. Is it possible that Li Chenyuan has the same affinity for demonic cultivation that his father had? If that's the case, I vote to put the kid out of his misery. If it's a hereditary ability, it's better to end the bloodline here."
He Yongliang paled. "How can you say such a thing? He's only a child!"
"A child?" Scoffing now was the refined head of scholarly Shi Li Peak, Zhong Yatong. Her expression was severe, as was her voice. Being the youngest of them all, her perception of age often differed from theirs. "Li Chenyuan is a grown man. He is twenty years old; soon, he will be twenty-one. If he can't take responsibility for murder now, when can he?"
"You don't understand!" He Yongliang's voice cracked. Everyone startled, the hairs on the backs of their necks standing up. He Yongliang was never one to grow emotional in public--especially not at a professional meeting. Most of them had only ever seen him with a gentle smile and a mild expression. Now, he looked on the verge of tears! "That child--he isn't the same! It is true that Li Guiren was a bad person, and did many terrible things. However, those things were of his own volition! He was not forced into madness! In fact, he's been handling himself quite well, considering--!"
He Yongliang stopped abruptly, biting his lip. A flash of horror crossed his face, and he covered his face with his hands, which had grown bony over the past week.